How to Get Fit and Enjoy it with Cycling

Attaining a high level of fitness usually comes at a price, and the saying “no pain, no gain” immediately springs to mind, and while we generally accept that there must be a level of discomfort involved, cycling virtually eliminates this. The continued change of scenery certainly beats a treadmill, and with the fresh air and the open road ahead, you tend to forget that bike riding is a way of achieving physical fitness.

Major Muscle groups

Cycling is a wonderful way to get fit, and the beauty is, you can do it at your own pace, and because all of the major muscle groups are worked, along with the heart and lungs, your fitness levels will soon improve dramatically. Once you have donned your cycling jersey and are ready to go, you have the freedom and flexibility to ride anywhere, and with some stunning country roads, you can vary your routes and never get bored.

Create a Fitness Plan

If you were to join a cycling club with the intent of improving your physical fitness, the instructor would more than likely help you to create a fitness plan, and that might include some floor exercises and a little weight training, to develop the thigh and calf muscles, which do most of the work when riding. One must be physically able to put the body under pressure, and if you are not used to heavy physical exercise, a visit to the doctor might be in order, and if he gives you the thumbs up, you can begin.

Group rides

After a while, riding solo can be a little tiresome, and as you develop, it is a good idea to find a group and ride with them, which does make a difference, and by regularly changing the pace rider, a fast pace can easily be maintained. You should always keep your riding statistics, as this data will help you measure your performance. There are small but accurate digital devices that you can attach to your bike, and it will tell you how fast you are travelling, and how many miles you have ridden, and with average times easy to calculate, you will always be informed about your riding performance.

Uphill Cycling

This is a very painful way to improve fitness, although to be fair, a novice should avoid steep climbs as they can be really exhausting, and unless you are sued to hill climbing, it can be a painful experience. After a month or two, you should be ready to take on slight inclines, and by using the right gears, your bike should be able to make ground.

Why not involve the whole family, and during the long weekends, you can fix your bikes to the family car and drive to a scenic area, and the family can ride for a few hours, before returning to the waiting vehicle. If you can manage to ride daily, or every other day, your progress should be swift and after 6 months of regular riding, your fitness level will be significantly higher.